Farmers prepare for harvest at Maui Ku‘ia Estate cacao farm
By Staff | Apr 30, 2021
Farmer Palani Wright harvests cacao at Maui Ku‘ia Estate Chocolate’s 20-acre farm in Lahaina. PHOTO BY BRAD PAULSON.
LAHAINA Things are hopping at Maui Ku’ia Estate Chocolate’s 20-acre cacao farm in Lahaina. Not only is the farm now open for public tours, but spring harvest for the 5,000-plus cacao trees is underway. For cacao farmers David McPherson and Palani Wright, the hands-on process of cultivating, harvesting and fermenting cacao is an experience to be savored. “Hawaii is the only state in the U.S. that can grow production cacao,” McPherson said. “That being said, it is new to us as farmers. It’s exciting to be part of a new cacao origin that produces high-quality cacao beans. Not only on our farm at MKEC, we want to see all of Hawaii grow a high-quality cacao bean!”
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An adult iiwi feeds on a Lobelia grayana in Waikamoi Preserve. These native plants and birds evolved together, increasing the survival success of both species – the tubular shape of the plant’s flowers perfectly matches the curvature of the bird’s bill, providing food for the iiwi and pollination for the lobelia. FOREST AND KIM STARR photo
Hawaii is the most isolated landmass on the planet. Because of this, plants and animals that arrived here millions of years ago have made extraordinary evolutionary adaptations, resulting in unique native species found nowhere else in the world. One example is the relationship between Hawaiian lobelia plant species with native forest birds like the iiwi. The plant and bird evolved together – the tubular shape of the plant’s flowers perfectly matches the curvature of the bird’s bill, providing food for the iiwi and pollination for the lobelia. There are many examples of these specific connections in a native fores
Don t let Hawaii get skunked: Preventing a smelly invader | News, Sports, Jobs mauinews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from mauinews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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Jackson’s chameleons were eradicated from Kauai in 2013, thanks to an alert resident. Photo courtesy Forest and Kim Starr
In the late 1990s, a Maui-based ecologist and scientist working with the U.S. Geological Survey envisioned a simple, straightforward way for the public to report invasive pests. The late Lloyd Loope was acutely aware of how important it was to have widespread community participation in detecting invasive species. He sought funding to develop an online system to help the public easily report invasive species. The benefit would be two-fold: promoting awareness of harmful plants and animals pests in Hawaii, and stopping high-priority pests from becoming established.
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Cecelia âCeceâ Frisinger lets a young âuaâu (Hawaiian petrel) fly out to sea. If you find a seabird on the ground, call 573-BIRD (2473) and someone will come pick it up where it can rest safely overnight. â Photo courtesy of Maui Nui Seabird Recovery Project
“At one time there were so many seabirds in Hawaii they blackened the sky,” says Jay Penniman, manager of the Maui Nui Seabird Recovery Project.
Seabirds have been in Hawaii for a long time, first arriving around 70 million years ago. The earliest colonists nested on what’s now known as the Emperor Seamount, the northwestern point of the archipelago that has since eroded below sea level. These ancestral residents mated and reared their young, leaving behind nutrient-rich guano seabird poop that helped create soils. Guano nourished and promoted the growth of coral reefs, helping to develop a healthy marine ecosystem. Seeds of flowering plants arrived, sometimes carried in th